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Norwegian police face heat over response time

Norwegian police were dogged Tuesday with continued questions about their rescue efforts on Utoya island

People pay their respects to the victims of the shooting spree and bomb attack in Norway at a temporary memorial site on the shore in front of Utoeya island, northwest of Oslo, July 26, 2011. (FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS)

Police officers hold up flowers during a vigil in memory of the eight people killed in Friday's blast in Oslo and the 68 who died in the shooting at the youth camp on Utoya, in Vik, near Sundvollen close to Utoya island, near Oslo, Norway, Tuesday, July 26, 2011. (Ferdinand Ostrop / AP)

OSLO—For the fourth straight day since Friday’s twin attacks police were dogged Tuesday with questions about their rescue efforts on Utoya island.

When asked about helicopters, Police Chief of Staff Johan Fredriksen peered over the top of his glasses and answered the foreign journalist, “You’re in a small country. Police have one helicopter.”

As it turns out, the pilot was on vacation and since the helicopter was traditionally used only for surveillance, it was doubtful anyway that it could have transported the counterterrorism SWAT team to Utoya Island.

“I don’t think this could have gone faster. I can’t see how that could be possible within this distance and under this condition,” Fredriksen told journalists gathered at the daily police briefing.

The hour between the first call to local police’s request for Oslo’s SWAT team until the elite forces arrived at Utoya allowed self-professed killer Anders Behring Breivik to roam the island killing a young victim nearly every minute.

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Breivik surrendered to police, who arrived on a civilian boat, almost immediately. Police then began the task of helping the survivors and counting the dead.

The process of publicly naming the deceased victims began Tuesday night — although in such a small country many names of the dead and injured were already known.

Authorities, who were also scrutinized for their vigilance of right-wing extremists, Tuesday vehemently defended their actions. And while Breivik’s claim of two more active cells will be investigated, they said, there were no immediate plans to introduce new security measures.

Justice Minister Knut Storberget was among those who praised the work of first responders saying police did “fantastic” job.

“It is very important that we have an open and critical approach . . . but there is a time for everything,” Storberget told journalists.

At another press conference Tuesday, Breivik’s lawyer answered questions, visibly stressed by his role of defending Norway’s most hated man.

“This whole case has indicated that he is insane,” Geir Lippestad said of his 32-year-old client.

But that doesn’t mean Breivik will plead insanity, Lippestad explained, as his client believes “he’s in a war.”

“He believes that when you are in a war you can do things like that without pleading guilty.”

Before the attack, Breivik took drugs to keep up his strength, Lippestad told reporters.

Although the two had never met, Breivik had specifically requested after his arrest that Lippestad, a prominent member of the liberal Labour Party he despised, defend him.

A tough job, and one that Lippestad thought hard about before finally accepting.

“I believe that the legal system is very important in a democracy,” Lippestad said.

Although Breivik has been charged with acts of terrorism, Lippestad raised the possibility to the Associated Press that his client could also be charged with crimes against humanity.

Either way, Breivik believes he will likely spend his life in prison and that he saw himself as some kind of “saviour.” Like others, he was apparently surprised he could carry on his assault for so long without being shot or apprehended.

Lippestad said his client told him he was “sorry that he had to do this,” but felt it was “necessary to start a revolution in the western world.”

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